Most storm power outages caused by vegetation — Belco

Getting ready: Crew from Almeida`s landscaping along with crews from Belco trim trees along North Shore in Hamilton Parish in preparation for Hurricane Igor in this file photo.
(Photo by Tamell Simons)

Trees were culprit for most of the Islands several hundred power outages during Tropical Storm Leslie.

Attributing 75 percent of the blackouts to vegetation, Belco reminded residents that they bear the responsibility for keeping trees away from power lines skirting properties.

Yesterday Belco crews were at work on a last two commercial customers who lost electricity due to underground faults that had to be dug up for repairs.

A spokeswoman said the power company endeavours to contact owners of properties where vegetation threatens electrical lines, but when storms are imminent, Belco crews inspect main line circuits and exercise the right to cut private property trees that might knock out power.

Property owners must take care of the debris, she added.

However, the company can switch off power along circuits where owners need to cut vegetation from around power lines — if notified a few weeks ahead.

Around the Island yesterday, cleanup was underway, with Hamilton streets being swept free of palmetto leaves and other storm litter.

At the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital construction site, almost all the workforce returned, and the cranes were powered back up first thing yesterday.

Some water crept into the lower floors and was cleared up, a spokeswoman said. No other damage occurred.

Classes are set to resume as normal today at the Islands public schools. Students will make up for the lost days later in the year.

And for Bermuda High School, Saltus, Somersfield Academy and Warwick Academy — all of which were closed yesterday in anticipation of a storm clean-up — this morning is business as usual.

The Orange ferry route to St Georges also resumes today.

The Sea Express Pink route started up at 10am yesterday; the Blue route to Dockyard began running at 9.30am and other West End services resumed at 4.10pm. And, in keeping with other hotels, Fairmont Hotels reported a trouble-free brush with Leslie, which swept east of Bermuda on Sunday.

Regular operations continued at both the Fairmont Southampton and Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

Managing Director George Terpilowski invited guests who cut short their visits, or postponed at the possibility of a Category 2 Hurricane hitting Bermuda, would return to the Island in the future.

September continues to be a wonderful time to visit Bermuda, he said.

Meanwhile, Canadas Atlantic Provinces braced themselves yesterday for an expected impact with Leslie later this morning. Winds approaching hurricane force, and heavy rain, should sweep across Newfoundland before the storm drifts away into the North Atlantic.

Most storm power outages caused by vegetation — Belco

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